Solar powered appliances are gaining popularity in the world today and for a good reason. They can help reduce your carbon footprint by using solar power to generate electricity! Solar-powered appliances come in many different shapes and sizes, so there is something here for everyone. Solar power is a natural source of renewable energy which is environmentally friendly, safe, cost-efficient, and freely available. The sun provides 1.5 kW/m2 of solar irradiance to the earth’s surface daily. With this enormous amount of energy available from the sun, it can be used productively in many ways. Here are 15 examples of solar powered appliances.
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1. Solar Calculator
Using the energy from the sun, this calculator can be used for 10 years without any battery replacement. It is made up of a solar panel that operates two digital panels that Casio manufactures. These calculators are available in many colors and have an LED display for better viewing.
2. Solar Lanterns
This lantern runs on one 100-watt bulb and emits light equivalent to 40 LEDs, giving 200 lumens of brightness. With no noise or fumes, these lanterns are safer than gas lamps commonly used in rural Indian areas even today. The only disadvantage is their cost as they currently sell for around Rs 1200 ($22). One can also make a rotatable DIY solar lantern at home with simple materials like an electric bulb, copper wire, cardboard sheet, 5-volt solar panel, and a rechargeable battery.
3. Solar Water Heater
This water heater can be made at home in just 3 hours by using two food-grade plastic barrels – one with black color on the inside and the other with white color on the outside. The inner barrel is filled with water, sealed at the bottom using tape to prevent leaks, and placed over the top of the outer barrel, which is also filled with water. The second barrel collects solar energy from sunlight which heats both barrels’ contents almost to boiling temperature. A small fraction of this hot water collected in the inner barrel is drawn out using a tap or string through holes drilled in the sides and collected in a storage container to be used for bathing, washing clothes, or cooking. This water heater can help increase the availability of hot water for irrigation pumps and homes without electricity which typically uses kerosene heaters that cause harmful indoor air pollution resulting in respiratory illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis.
4. Solar Air Conditioner
A portable solar-powered cooling unit can provide relief from hot temperatures by using a solar panel and an inverter to convert the DC power provided by the panel into 3-phase AC power (220V). It is made up of a large pressure vessel and cooling panels which are connected using pipework. The fans present inside this system push the air at room temperature through these Peltier cooling panels, which are kept cold by the refrigerant present in them. This system is currently used for commercial purposes and can be found in countries with hot climates.
5. Solar Refrigerator
A solar refrigerator has no compressor, gas, or moving parts. It is a box made up of glass on 4 sides, a metal interior, and food trays fitted inside it. The glass uses a transparent low-emissivity coating that traps heat to minimize heat transfer from inside to outside, thus keeping the food items inside at near room temperature throughout the day. If placed under direct sunlight, they work even more efficiently as they accumulate heat inside during the daytime, making the temperature rise slightly above normal room temperature. They require minimal power input at night for cooling. This makes it cheaper to operate than a traditional refrigerator with an average life span of 12 years.
6. Solar Ovens
A solar oven is made up of 3 basic components – an outer metal casing, food trays, and a transparent glass cover on all 4 sides, which traps the light coming from the sun inside the box when placed in direct sunlight. The user places their food items inside this box after covering them with aluminum foil and heats them for several hours at around 150 degrees Celsius, suitable for cooking most foods. They are used not only in developing countries where electricity can’t be taken for granted but also by campers or hikers who go out into forests far away from civilization without any access to electricity for powering their ovens to cook food.
7. Solar Battery Chargers
Solar battery chargers use solar panels to provide electricity for charging Nickel-Cadmium, Nickel Metal Hydride, and Lead Acid batteries such as those used in cars, bikes, motorbikes, or other vehicles not just at home but also during emergencies when power outages last for days together. They work efficiently due to their high-efficiency ratings of around 90 percent. They can be made using simple tools and widely available materials like plywood, aluminum foil, and insulation tape, which a user can easily carry while traveling far away from civilization into forests or mountains where no electricity is available to charge their vehicle’s batteries. Solar chargers are even found within handheld devices like calculators and phones to use their power for extended periods.
8. Solar Irrigation Pumps
Solar irrigation pumps are widely used in developing countries where electricity is either unavailable or too expensive to pump water from wells deep below the surface. They can pump out 10-15 gallons per minute which is around 3-5 times faster than a typical manual well pump, and run on the direct current drawn from solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity using photovoltaic cells, thus creating zero emissions during operation making them the ideal alternative to non-renewable sources of energy like petrol, diesel, and gas while eliminating health hazards caused by smoke emissions present in the former 3 fuels. This makes it possible to irrigate large land areas at a faster rate and with reduced labor, thus saving money and time.
9. Solar Water Heater
Solar water heaters use solar energy to heat cold water through a series of panels made up of transparent glass tubes fitted inside aluminum frames that collect the sun’s heat during the day and transfer it to an insulated tank or cylinder, which can store hot water for hours at a stretch. This saves electricity required in heating water using conventional stoves, geysers, or boilers but works best in warm climates where temperatures don’t fall below freezing point at night when solar energy isn’t available to keep the system running efficiently due to lower levels of sunlight received. They also come in battery-powered versions that work like kettles used for boiling water.
10. Solar Lanterns
Solar lanterns are great alternatives to kerosene lamps which use kerosene as a fuel source, emit toxic fumes from their smoky chimneys and cause air pollution, especially in the cities they are used, thus making them illegal for usage within urban limits at homes or offices. They consist of solar panels fitted on top of a battery-powered LED panel that produces enough light to sit by during power outages at night using stored electricity from either batteries or grid electricity is available with a backup option provided for times when sunlight is unavailable due to lack of direct exposure to sunlight or heavy rains that prevent sunlight reaching solar panels fitted on top of them making it impossible for them to recharge. They can double up as emergency lights at night for road or traffic signaling besides being used as lamps or torches.
11. Solar-Powered Fans
Solar-powered fans use solar panels on their roof to directly absorb sunlight and convert their rays into usable electricity, which is then stored within batteries that can be recharged using sunlight during sunny days, thus making it possible to power the fan with no reliance on grid electricity provided there are ample sunny days where more electricity is produced than what is consumed by the fan, so some excess energy gets stored directly inside battery cells. They are effective in warm climates since they don’t have AC compressor units fitted within them, thus avoiding overall costs of running ACs around the clock due to high utility bills while also providing a cooling effect similar to an AC unit but without the extra cost and health hazards present in typical ACs.
12. Solar Cooking
Solar cooking is a great way to prepare food at home or in large groups using solar energy by trapping rays from the sun using special cookers fitted with parabolic reflectors that focus sunlight on a small area containing pots, pans, plates, etc. full of foodstuffs like vegetables, meat or liquids like soups without causing any harm such as burning or charring. Once an item placed inside such a cooker has been heated up enough to either cook it fully or make it ready for eating depending on how long it takes to get cooked based on its thickness and size at standard room temperature, it can be taken out and eaten immediately without having to wait for even 5 minutes.
13. Solar Street Lights or Floodlights
Solar street lights are poles fitted with solar panels at the very top that absorb sunlight during the day to recharge batteries placed inside them which are then used at night to power up bright LED lights installed within, which can emit light up to a distance of about 50 feet providing enough illumination for use as traffic signals, road signs, etc. besides being beneficial in deterring criminals due to their brightness thus ensuring the safety of roads and public spaces making them great alternatives to conventional street lamps powered by grid electricity. They also double up as floodlights for homes or offices since they have separate switches that allow users to switch on all panel LEDs after dark or just one panel depending on how much lighting is needed indoors.
14. Solar Automobiles or Solar Powered Cars
Solar-powered cars are electric vehicles fitted with solar panels on top of their roof to absorb sunlight during the day, stored inside rechargeable batteries used at night while driving. They are perfect for use in regions with plenty of sunshine where more sunlight reaches solar panels than what is consumed by car systems, thus providing more energy that can be recharged, leading to extra mileage added to your vehicle’s fuel tank. On days when there is no sunlight, they still have the option of running entirely on-grid electricity since batteries store enough charge for an entire day’s worth of non-stop driving.
15. Solar Chargers for Mobile Phones
Mobile phones are electronic devices that rely on both sunlight and grid electricity to charge their batteries at different times, so you might as well use solar energy to charge them since sunlight is free and readily available for all. Solar chargers or power banks contain rechargeable batteries that can be charged using the sun’s rays during the daytime by connecting your phone with its USB cable, after which it will start charging immediately, just like a regular charger provided it absorbs enough sunlight to charge your mobile phone before sunset fully otherwise, they can also work indoors just like regular chargers plugged into wall sockets or computer USB ports since they come equipped with built-in AC adapters and USB plugs.
Conclusion
Solar powered appliances are the future. This guide should provide you with 15 solar-powered appliance examples and an understanding of how they work, what their benefits are, and who might use them to make your decision easier when it comes time for purchase. Whether you’re looking for a new fridge or dishwasher, we hope this article will help steer you towards making one that is energy-efficient and eco-friendly! The environment deserves our best efforts – let’s get started today by switching to more sustainable technologies like solar power.
